LUCES SINGULARES

Suelo ir siguiendo las entrevistas y tertulias del programa Singulars (canal 33), normalmente en sus repeticiones en miércoles y sábados. Las buenas elecciones de los invitados así como el estilo del director y conductor del programa, Jaume Barberà (hace no mucho publicó un libro relacionado con el programa), acaban creando cierta adicción. quizá sea por la esperanza y la sabiduría que arrojan ciertas palabras, ciertos argumentos, ciertas maneras de expresarse. Ya pueden ser temas científicos, filosóficos o relacionados con la economía o la política.

Una de las últimas entrevistas fue al catedrático de filosofía y académico de la RAE Emilio Lledó (Sevilla, 1927). La grandeza de sus sencillas y diáfanas palabras parecía dar cobijo ante el dolor de ver y padecer los tiempos que corren. Hablando desde una gran modestia y humildad iban enlazándose temas trascendentales, mundanos y cotidianos y resultaba bien difícil apartarse de la pantalla. Afortunados somos de que aún quede gente así (el propio Barberà le dio las gracias a Lledó por existir al final de la entrevista) y es esperanzador y valioso que siga habiendo interés en recordar la importancia de la dignidad, la sencillez, el respeto, la educación (en todos sus sentidos) y el conocimiento de tiempos pasados, de grandes personajes y el erigirse como persona autónoma y responsable por encima de ideologías y sectarismos.

web del programa Singulars:
http://www.tv3.cat/singulars

DEFORM OR STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES

After watching a tv documentary about supporters of Franco's dictatorship nowadays, there was some reference to the so called "curas obreros", those priests that got close to the working class and became active defending their rights, opposing the regime and thus, the more official sectors of the pro-Franco Catholic Church. I quite disagree with religious hierarchies and those powerful ones boastful about religious values but who seem to think more about power and structures rather than about the people. I had already heard about that sort of leftist priests several years ago but this time something else came to my mind; what about in left-wing regimes? I thought of the story of Jerzy Popiełuszko, who ended up being a victim of the Polish communist regime, because of his struggle together with workers to defend social and labour rights. We might oppose many aspects of Catholic Church and not even consider ourselves christian (and much less catholic), but the values behind the actions toward a fair society, healthier communities, the protection of rights and better conditions are to be praised. Besides, in my opinion, such postures within the Church are more coherent with the religious message of Christianism. What matters should be the well being of people, as a community, the construction of tight bonds which enable a more peaceful and harmonious society, not those baroque discourses from the hierarchy, formalities and closeness to power. I see several dichotomies here:

• togetherness vs. conflict based on confrontation or emphasizing differences
• bonds beyond identities vs. poisoning identities to divide people,
• comforting people vs. remaining powerful,
• realism and closeness to real lives of communities vs. fictional and distant dimension of formality and power (closeness to the power, politics)
• flexibility vs. dogmatism

What matters should be making the society a better place, not getting better lives for a few by means of the society.